My POE experience is pretty mundane compared to most. My port of entry was Seattle having flew from Amsterdam on Northwest 33. After a 10 hour flight you are not really in the mood for anything when you get there, nevermind immigration.

I pretty much new the layout of immigration at Seattle Airport as I had been there many times before. I have had a bad experience at Seattle before. I went once on a tourist visa while my I129F was taking forever in Nebraska. They were not happy and gave me a hard time at secondary processing. Anyway going through immigration I always expect the worse. If I am an immigrant until proven otherwise then they are unpleasant till they prove otherwise. In fact I have only ever met one nice immigration officer. It was on a cruise ship in New Orleans. He was so nice and friendly and answered all my questions. Again that is not the norm.

Anyway I came into Seattle. I was not really sure what form to fill out on the way in. if you read the I94 instructions it tells you that US Citizens, Permanent Residents and impending immigrants do not need to fill out an I94 so I didn't. I was really expecting to go to secondary processing. In fact there was another desk at the far left where people had brown envelopes like mine so I was sure that I would have to go over there. The thing was that that was not secondary processing as that is to the right. I knew this cause I had been there before. I think people to the left were people on I130's who are officially "immigrants". But when you are a K1 you are classed as a non immigrant so I believe that is why I went straight to a normal inspection desk much like I did when I had a J1 visa or came as a tourist.So I fill out the white I94 (the one for those with Visas) and waited in line for the next officer. I must say that this was really rather easy. I can honestly say that the only words said between myself and the immigration officer was at the end. He gave me some stuff back (my passport and X-Ray) I said "Can I go?". He said, "Yes".

Most people say that they are there for like 15 minutes. I at the desk for two minutes max. When I first got there I gave him my passport brown envelope and my passport. I was a little concerned as I had accidently torn the brown envelope on the flight. The hole was not big enough that you could read it. Anyway he took it and just tore it open. He looked through the big pile of papers. There I saw my I129F that I had not seen for nearly 7 months. I noticed that it had an approval stamp on it from Nebraska. He went through it and stamped it here and there. Then kept it and put it in a pile on his desk. He then stamped my passport. He circled the one entry part on my visa and that was that. I then went on through to pick up my luggage then onto customs.

Good luck when your turn comes.

15th Aug 2003